Integrated Product Development Research Articles

The Optimization of Automobile Part Product Development Using Integrated Product Development (IPD)

This paper studies a new integrated product development (IPD) process at an automobile parts company. The process includes benchmarking and offers four optimization strategies for the new product development process: (1) re-structuring the new product development organization astraddle department teams, (2) reshaping the new product development and selection process already at the planning and conceptual design stages, (3) optimizing the design review process at the engineering stage, and (4) establishing a product development team with large project manager responsibilities in the industrialization stage so as to give full play to the guiding role of expert resources. This paper can help enhance the competitiveness of domestic auto parts enterprises compared to leading foreign auto parts enterprises.

Cross-Functional Integration, Value Co-Creation and New Product Development Success

Cross-Functional Integration, Value Co-Creation and New Product Development Success

PROJECT-BASED LEARNING IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION – DEVELOPING DIGITAL TWINS IN A CASE STUDY

AbstractThe current engineering environment demands for an increasing level of interdisciplinarity, innovation, creativity and cross-domain thinking as well as the consideration of sustainability aspects. New concepts, such as Digital Twins and complex product systems lead to the need for integrated product development approaches and new methods that put the user perspective in focus. This also needs to be an integral part in today's teaching concepts of the next generation of engineers.At the Department of Industrial Information Technology of the Technical University of Berlin, a case study was conducted by applying a concept of project-based learning in the engineering domain to address these challenges. In this paper, the case study as well as the method and its validation are presented. Students from different engineering disciplines had the task of developing virtual and physical prototypes for a sustainable, complex product system with a digital twin and respective sustainable business models. Within a structured survey, the teaching concept and the applied method were validated and lessons learned as well as further improvement measures are derived.

Globalization orientation, business practices and performance outcomes: an empirical investigation of B2B manufacturing firms

Purpose This paper aims to examine how market globalization orientation (i.e. a firm’s strategic commitment to developing the target markets beyond national borders) influences business-to-business (B2B) practices to achieve competitive performance outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework shows how to translate strategic orientation into integrated organizational practices for competitive outcomes. A research model defines key variables (drivers, B2B practices and performance outcomes). The research model is tested using an international survey of 439 firms from four continents. And the analysis results are reported. Findings The results suggest that market globalization orientation influences organizational practices and external B2B network processes to achieve desirable performance outcomes. Integrated product development is a crucial linkage mechanism that enables firms to translate strategic network coordination and product innovation goals into improved manufacturing and firm performance. Research limitations/implications First, macro-level factors (e.g. the changing attitudes of domestic stakeholders toward globalization) do not necessarily dictate the critical aspects of the micro-level responses (e.g. firm-level practices). Despite negative narratives of globalization at the macro-level (e.g. economic inequality, unwanted immigration that spreads transmissible diseases, supply chain disruptions), firm-level responses toward global markets are determined by their missional direction and strategic priorities for achieving competitive advantage by expanding their B2B supply chains and market frontiers (Adams et al., 2019; Kobrin, 2020; Witt, 2019; Zinn and Goldsby, 2020). Second, the findings suggest that many firms take globalization orientation as an essential strategic driver that governs critical operational and network practices for achieving desirable performance outcomes. Market globalization orientation motivates B2B firms of all sizes –including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – to pursue globalization in their unique paths of differentiation. Globalization orientation expands their spheres of influence beyond their local, regional and domestic fronts. The globalization orientation of business leadership motivates firms to stretch their business frontiers without self-imposed geographical constraints. Practical implications Competitive firms choose market globalization orientation in their supply flow and implement strategic and operational practices to pursue global market opportunities. Globalization orientation is imperative to firms that seek new growth engines to achieve competitive performance that appeals to diverse market segments of the world. Social implications Outstanding firms expand their value frontiers to secure a flexible supplier base and reach out to diverse B2B customers in their domestic and global market segments. This study also suggests that firms with a market globalization orientation aim to develop novelty products, offer essential services, support the livelihood goals of people and pursue a shared vision of a sustainable planet. Originality/value In the context of conflicting societal attitudes and political priorities toward globalization, this study examines the crucial role of market globalization orientation. Using an empirical study, this paper suggests that globalization efforts succeed as firms deploy their internal and network resources to address people’s essential and timeless needs beyond national boundaries.

Sustainable Systemic Lightweight Design (S2LWD) - Guidance for the heuristic application of lightweight design within an integrated product development process

Apart from costs, product development is increasingly driven by environmental constraints. Particularly regarding products with moving masses, lightweight design can be an effective instrument to reduce the environmental impact of products during their use phase since it often allows for higher energy consumption in manufacturing and disposal processes. However, a serious challenge in product development is to find an optimal trade-off between the benefits for sustainability through lightweight design strategies and further sustainability principles regarding the entire life cycle, while keeping development costs and times as low as possible.Thus, this contribution introduces guidance for sustainable lightweight design that enables the efficient and effective application of methods of lightweight design while considering sustainability aspects based on product and company-specific characteristics. By asking focused questions, diverse lightweight and sustainable design methods can be effectively integrated into product development along conventional and established product development processes and paradigms (e.g., systems engineering). This leads to a minor supplemental development effort compared to the well-established processes, which however ultimately lowers the barrier to introduce lightweight and sustainable design principles by increasing knowledge transfer so that products and product generations can be systematically and successfully improved.

Proposal for a Preliminary Model of Integrated Product Development Process Oriented by Green Supply Chain Management

For sustainable product development, activities related to the selection of raw materials, product design, manufacturing, packaging, and distribution must be considered in a way that respects environmental limits and implements alternatives to reduce the consumption of natural resources. Due to this context, companies have sought to create environmentally sustainable alternatives for products and processes, once exposed to government, market, and regulatory pressures. Given this scenario, the question of this study is presented: Is it possible to define a conceptual model from existing models in the literature that guides companies in their Integrated Product Development Process (IPDP) and is oriented by Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM)? To answer the research problem question, a preliminary model integrating the IPDP and GSCM themes was presented. The elaboration of the preliminary model was only possible from the systematic literature review and content analysis previously carried out and presented in the general data in this article. The general aim of the study is to present a preliminary model in which IPDP is oriented to GSCM. As specific objectives, this study intends to present models previously published that have some relation to the IPDP related to green design, green purchase, green manufacturing, green distribution, and reverse logistics, which are related to GSCM; in addition, it presents guidelines to integrate the stages of product development and GSCM to reduce the environmental impact. The contribution of the preliminary model for companies is to present criteria that reduce the environmental impact of products in different GSCM activities within the IPDP. The contribution of this study is to present an analysis of the existing models, which will be the basis for the development of a conceptual model.

Concurrent Engineering and based Applications for 3D Big Data

European companies’ competitiveness depends on obtaining innovative products. In the last years, clients demand started to be higher and more complex. Because of that, managing products development processes have become a necessity. Product development processes need to be proficient and flexible: less complex and more competence-focused. 3DSpace brings more solutions in this matter. EXALEAD transforms large volumes of heterogeneous, multi-source data into real-time information intelligence to help users improve business processes and gain competitive advantage. EXALEAD enables organizations to gather and enrich Big Data to deliver that information in the process of integrated product development and allows customers to fully manage product programs, from 3D design to traceability of changes, cost, quality and issue analytics. Concurrent or Simultaneous Engineering is one of the fundamental approaches that meet the challenges mentioned above. EXALEAD uses CloudView to process big data flows. Concurrent Engineering represents a standardized approach to integrated product improvement which accentuates and gives priority to the customer expectations level. In this matter, 3DSpace’s ENOVIA is used together with graphic software for manufacturing. It is about teamwork and confidence in which the decision-making process is consensual, even from the beginning of the product life cycle.

Knowledge Integration and Disruptive Innovation Product Development: Case Studies of Company A

Because of the energy crisis, companies started developing electric vehicles. Company A, as a new entrant, successfully developed a disruptive innovation of the world’s first high-performance, zero emissions, and two-wheeled electric scooter. As disruptive innovation is frequently discovered in the combination of different industrial technologies, company A is comprised of high-tech and traditional industry resources and knowledge. This study aims to explore the process of heterogeneous industry knowledge integration in the traditional motorcycle manufacturing industry by a case study of company A. Following qualitative research method, this study concludes four main findings in product development: (1) organizational knowledge integration is identified to mitigate the impact of functional conflict; (2) design validation knowledge integration is identified to set the standard for pioneer product strategy; (3) internal and external engineering knowledge integration is identified to realizes the goal of pioneer product strategy; (4) product validation knowledge integration is identified to coordinate the flexible planning process.

Pemutakhiran Pengembangan Produk Menggunakan Kerangka kerja “Integrated Conceptual Selection (ICS)”

Abstract
 In today’s overwhelming competition, the knowledge on product development represents a very significant aspect for companies to survive in the market. Among these sectors is the automotive industry, where it is one of the fastest growing, highly demanding and stiff competition marketplaces. Intensive research in this field is targeted to produce light weight and high-performance components which can increase fuel efficiency and sustainability of an automobile. One of the recent avenues is the investigation of increased performance engineered materials to replace the conventional materials. In this study product development of engineered material - component is explored. To achieve a sound product development, new integrated product development framework which utilized simultaneous approach is developed. The framework is referred to as Integrated Conceptual Selection (ICS) which streamlines the phases in the product development process, including product investigation, product specification and conceptual design.

DFA concepts in a concurrent engineering environment: A white goods case

Due to the current and highly competitive industrial scenario, the technology-oriented organizations have been making routine adjustments to the conventional IPDP, in order to seek more profitable business models. Identifying the product functions, as well as its importance - perceived by the consumer - and being able to associate this information with manufacturability and assembly aspects, is fundamental to achieve more competitive, low-cost and higher quality products. This article objective is to evaluate this method concept, applying it in an industrial project. In order to assess the method within the complete integrated product development process (IPDP), the activities related to the conceptual and preliminary phases of the project delineated this article limits. This study selected a subgroup of the white goods industry, where first the traditional models of VE were applied in the conceptual design phase. Subsequently, the classic DFA models were applied in the preliminary design phase. Thus, it was possible to apply the proposed iterative method, where the alternatives generated with the DFA were cyclically re-evaluated, function by function, in the previous stage of value analysis. With this, this study came to the method assessment, its gains and limitations. Then, the original design was compared with the solution after the proposal application, without the method used. Finally, this study verified the influence of the method on the balance between the value and the cost of each function, in addition to the direct comparison of the solution final cost with the version without the method application. Among the results, this article presents a report showing the method viability, its particularities, impacts, and limitations.

Integrated product development method based on Value Engineering and design for assembly concepts

Assessing the product functions associating them with the manufacturability aspects is crucial to reducing the manufacturing cost. Similarly, delivering project solutions with real costs compatible with the values perceived by the customer becomes a relevant aspect for the success of a launch. Even in a concurrent engineering environment, there are no relevant tools that associate the Value Engineering (VE) concepts, where each function value is measured and comparing one by one, with the cost achieved in each of these same functions after application of the Design for Assembly (DFA). This study analyzed a proposal of applying an iterative method for IPDP, based on established EV and DFA techniques, which seeks the balance between value and cost of all functions of a mechanical subset. Thus, it was possible to evaluate the method application and analyze both its gains and its limitations. Then, the original design was compared with the solution after the proposal application. Finally, was verified the influence of the method on the balance between the value and the cost of each function, in addition to the direct comparison of the solution cost with the version without the method application. Among the results, this article presents a report showing the method viability, its, impacts and limitations.

Training responsible engineers. Phronesis and the role of virtues in teaching engineering ethics

ABSTRACT Engineering ethics courses aim to improve students’ ethical competence by developing skills such as ethical sensitivity, awareness, analysis and judgement. We present a type of virtue engineering ethics that bridges the gap between academic knowledge (in both ethics and engineering) and its application in engineering practice (particularly design). To clarify why learning about virtues can enrich students’ ethical thinking and competences, we specifically consider the virtue of practical wisdom, phronesis. At the core of the paper, we put forward a theoretical argument for including phronesis in teaching ethics within innovation courses. Training this virtue will help engineering students in dealing with the various uncertainties that will emerge from their future engineering practices. With regard to implementing our proposal, we suggest to integrate practical wisdom in ‘semi-technical’ courses that combine theoretical in-class learning and practical design experiences. We discuss the structure, aims and assessment methods of an integrated product development course that we deem preferable to and potentially more effective than stand-alone engineering ethics classes. An engineering virtue ethics can help engineering students develop a personal reflective way of thinking about concrete courses of action in engineering practice, and may have beneficial ripple effects on their lives, society and the environment.

Research on the Relationships Among Customer Participation, Knowledge Integration and New Product Development Performance

Under the background of the knowledge economy, business managers have gradually realized that improving innovation performance requires breaking organizational boundaries to obtain knowledge, technology and other resources from the outside. As one of the important external subjects of new product development (NPD), customers actively participate in NPD activities become an effective way to acquire customer knowledge. However, there are still divergent studies on the effect of customer participation (CP) on NPD performance. In view of this, this research explores the relationship between customer participation, knowledge integration, absorptive capacity, and NPD performance, and this paper empirically studied the influence of CP on NPD performance through a large sample questionnaire survey, and focused on the analysis of the mediating role of knowledge integration and the moderating effect of absorptive capacity. The results show that CP has a significant positive effect on knowledge integration and NPD performance; knowledge integration has mediating effect between CP and NPD performance; Absorptive capacity positively moderates the relationship between CP and knowledge integration, but has no significant moderating effect on CP and NPD performance. From the perspective of knowledge management, this study links customer participation with NPD performance, and the research results not only have important theoretical implications for the in-depth study of customer participation, NPD performance, knowledge integration and absorptive capacity, but also have important practical significance to improve the success rate of NPD and promote high-quality development.

Model for technological innovation integration and new product development in firms under innovation discontinuities

This article aims to contribute to a new planning policy in the development of innovative products. To do so, it presents a new modelling proposal to integrate technological innovation and new product development in a company of the traditional pewter sector in Portugal, under innovation discontinuities, carried out according to the following stages: Phase 1: Modelling of the information needs in product development process; Phase 2: Determining of technology integration dimensions to the product; and Phase 3: Evaluating the performance of technology integration dimensions to the product. A case study was conducted in a company of traditional tin sector in Portugal. The investigation was helped by the intervention of specialists. In order to reduce the subjectivity in the obtained results, the methods of Categorical Judgment Law, Artificial Neural Networks, the multi-criteria Electre III methods, compromised programming and Promethee II, multivariate analysis and the neuro fuzzy technology were used. The results were satisfactory, validating the present proposal. Keywords: Modelling proposal, planning, integration, technological innovation, new product development, traditional pewter sector.

Integrated product development and lifecycle management in building production – A case study for logistic of mortar distribution in building sites

In this work, there was developed a modular container based on the principle of integrated product development (IPD), as a device to facilitate the distribution of mortar between workplaces during the production of a multi-story building, as part of the IPD strategy applied to a project under development. Such a project deals with the distribution of mortar to perform activities that use it. Since IPD is a strategy that encompasses several factors and agents, whose primary aim is to maximize the total quality of a product, all lifecycle of a product development aims to minimize risks of security, of use, economics, and markets. Implementing the IPD in buildings is complex, and many times during the development process, there is necessary to develop tools and artifacts to improve the process itself. The IPD diagnosed the distribution of the mortar as a critical task in the building process. Here is presented one solution adopted by the IPD design team to improve the transportation logistics of mortar, according to the product of lifecycle management (PLM) in the production of buildings. The device created following the same criteria of the global project in its development since it should meet the product IPD and meet the specific criteria of its future production. Then, by applying finite element analysis, throughout its development, it was possible to reduce the amount of welding, cut plates, and estimated time for its production. Forward, the design PLM was satisfactorily fulfilled for the device, and the global project, once it completes the design of the device, the integrated development of the production and distribution of the mortar was realized.

Customer Integration and New Product Development: The Moderating Effect of Strategic Integration

Customer Integration and New Product Development: The Moderating Effect of Strategic Integration

A SCRUM AGILE INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

AbstractWith design methodologies, as Integrated Product Development, industry is continuously looking to improve their product development processes. Staying ahead concurrence forces them to deliver new and more complex products in shorter time. When it comes to fast delivery and requirement changes, product development can be inspired by agile methods. Although the application is difficult, the idea to implement these methods for development of products other than software comes out. To ease its implementation, this paper proposes to use IPD as a framework for agile product development.

Design for six sigma integrated product development reference model through systematic review

PurposeThis paper aims to present a systematic review of design for six sigma (DFSS) methods applicable to the product development process (PDP) of durables goods and identify a research opportunity on the subject proposing integration of DFSS and a reference model for the PDP. In this way, through the analysis of the theoretical references identified in the scientific databases, it was possible to propose a conceptual model for the PDP oriented to the DFSS.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on the theoretical framework presented in peer-reviewed scientific research papers during the period 2000 to 2018 on the theme DFSS applied in the PDP, as well as such as the product development tools/techniques and statistics addressed. By means of key words defined by the acronyms of DFSS methods (DMADOV, ICOV, DMEDI, IDOV, DDOV, PIDOV, DMADIC, DCCDI, DMADV, IDDOV, CDOV and DCOV), DFSS and the acronym DFSS. Applying Boolean expression during the conduction of the searches through the scientific evidence at the Brazilian scientific database platform (Capes database). This database platform is maintained by coordination for the improvement of higher education personnel, which including Emerald Insight (Emerald), Scopus (Elsevier), Science Direct, SpringerLink, Taylor Francis, Scielo (Web of Science), Wiley Online Library, Web of Science (Clarivate Analytics), etc. It was obtained, by means of the searches, 269 papers related to subject DFSS, of which 18 papers had been critically selected for the composition of a conceptual model for the process of development of product guided to the DFSS.FindingsThis study presents a review of the literature (systematic review and content analysis) on DFSS and its effectiveness for the PDP. The DFSS methodology is disseminated in the scientific literature through a variety of methods that are often mistaken for the six sigma methodology – DMAIC, which is directed toward process improvement. The PDP integrated with the DFSS concepts contributes to eliminating possible failures during the design of a new product, directing to reduce costs and improve the quality of the product and process.Practical implicationsThis paper presents a literature review that guided to a proposal of a preliminary conceptual model DFSS focused on the process of product development with the purpose of being a friendly model that meets the dynamics of the organizations and the expectations of the consumers.Originality/valueThrough the systematic review and content analysis, it was possible to observe that the DFSS methods applied to product development are not related to the PDP reference models available in the literature. In this way, the fusion of the concepts of the DFSS methods and PDP reference models for the construction and proposition of a preliminary conceptual model DFSS oriented to the process of product development intends to contribute in the development of new products with the reduction of time, reduction of the cost, competitive price and consumer satisfaction.

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering of Gamma Titanium Aluminides for Aerospace Applications

Although the benefits of titanium aluminides for intermediate service temperature applications were well conceived and significant research and development activities were conducted in the past four decades, they remained as developmental materials due to barriers associated with melting, processing, scale-up, and cost. Demanding requirements of efficient aero-engines and extensive risk reduction demonstrations paved the path for commercial introduction of gamma titanium aluminides. The single most attractive current application is for low pressure turbine blades (LPTBs) in advanced aero-engines replacing conventionally cast nickel superalloys. This paper provides an overview of recent progress, producibility challenges, and opportunities. The successful journey of gamma (γ) TiAl LPTB development from laboratory demonstrations to production insertions in mass-produced commercial jet engines will be described. Collaboration and integrated product development were identified as the most critical needs for rapid maturation and implementation of γ-TiAl into aerospace applications. An integrated computational materials engineering modeling framework and toolsets developed under a collaborative US Air Force Metals Affordability Initiative project between industry, government, and academia will be illustrated. Model-based optimization of material and processing for achieving desired performance goals will be highlighted.

Influence of shock absorber damping rates on the fatigue of anti-roll bars of a commercial vehicle

Within the framework of an integrated product development, the main objective of this study is to assess the influence of shock absorber damping rates on the fatigue of anti-roll bars of a commercial vehicle. In this regard, force and displacement data have been collected in a durability test track with an instrumented bus on curb weight (CW) and gross axle weight rating (GAWR). Based on the theory of fatigue damage accumulation, the durability of each anti-roll bar of a bus (front and rear suspension) was assessed for three different shock absorber damping rates. Statistical significance between different shock absorbers has been identified for both bars on both loading conditions. The results pointed out that, in some cases, a softer damper could reduce by almost half the fatigue life of an anti-roll bar when compared to the same bar with stiffer dampers.